XMen: Crying Renegade
by GunmanZero
Summary: Set alternatly when X-Men 2 never happend. Updated CH3 Redone CH2 please R
1. The Rescue

X-Men: Crying Renegade 

The X-men took in a mysterious one-armed teenager, whom they met on a mission against the brotherhood of mutants. Suffering a severe amnesia, the X-men nurtured, protected and tried to help the boy to remember his past. Little though did they know about the new menance in connection with the boy and that is crying for total annihalation for both mutants and humans.

The Rescue

"RUN, KID RUN!"

Marie, alias Rogue, dashed through the forest closely followed by Wolverine and Iceman. Behind them were barking shepard dogs with guards armed with M16 rifles, who were shooting at them. The bullets were dropping like rain drops flying horizontally. Luckily, Iceman freezed them before they could reach their target.

"That stupid Logan..."

Marie was remembering the events that led up to this point. The team, that is Storm, Cyclops, Iceman, Wolverine and herself were sent on a mission to retrieve vital information about a possible new biological weapon the brotherhood were researching along with a renegade human faction. Storm and Cyclops distracted the front guards and then fell back to their jet, while Rogue, Wolverine and Iceman slipped in unnoticed. They successfully sneaked their through the facility into the server room, where the info was kept. After Iceman hacked and downloaded the files, all three of them was about to sneak back out when Wolvie slipped and activated the metal detector causing the alarm. After that Marie could not remember how long she had run with the disc in her hand. Meanwhile Storm showed up to cover them with a force of wind and mist, while Iceman continued to throw ice blocks at their chasers. It stopped them effectivly, though it did not help to stop the oncoming reinforcements. They both signaled Wolverine and Rogue to continue running to the jet, while they tried to hold them back. Both nodded and continued to run on the oncoming jet. Cyclops opened the ramp, allowing Rogue and Wolverine to enter. Both collapsed and caught for air, when they were safely inside.

"Heard again that the party was your work."

Cyclops meant Wolverine with that.

"Shut up. One-eye"

Wolverine retracted his claws though leaving the middle one out to show it to Cyclops. Both of them were still friendly enemies even after the many missions that they both went through. Most of the time though it was funny to see them fight all the time. Marie could not hold her smile when she noticed something. She took out her small binoculars from her belt and focused on that perticular something. She let her jaw down in shock. There was a crawling boy, in wet clothes, blood coming out from every whole of his body. His left arm bled horribly and his right arm was reaching out for the jet, signaling for help. Behind him, were their chasers again.

"Logan, Scott look there!"

Both X-Men turned their attention to the girl.

"What is it, kid?"

"Logan, we've gotta help him!"

Logan took the binoculars while Scott zoomed in with his onboard camera.

"Its too dangerous to get him now!"

Wolverine nodded in agreement to Cyclops's comment.

"He's right. That boy's got his time."

Marie was petrified by their attitude.

"Hey, Weren't we supposed to be GOOD guys, you know! Fight the oppressers, save the weak!"

Cyclops turned around.

"She's got a point, Logan!"

"Shut up. Even you said that it was impossible to help him now!"

"I just said it was too dangerous, and Storm and Iceman are going to be OK, so?"

Wolverine looked back at Marie, who kept staring at him hoping to change his mind. Logan sighed.

"Oh, hell. Cyclops fly right over him!"

"Roger that!"

Marie was relieved that he decided to save him. Logan went back and pulled out a rope from the equipment locker. He gave one end to Rogue to fastend it on something, while he tied himself with the other end. Then he jumped off the jet and ran to the boy. The boy already collapsed on the ground due to his excessive blood loss, when Logan reached him.

"Man, what happend?"

Wolverine found a lot of cuts and bruises all around his body, leaving him to suspect that they were leftovers from an epic battle. Anyways analysis can wait later. Wolverine grapped his lifeless body and clung to it. The jet already flew past above him, taking the rope with him. While Wolverine was waiting for the rope to pull it with him, many more shepards and guards were approaching him.

"Come on, come on come on..."

A dog was about to jump on to him, as the rope pulled him and the boy skywards. The guards kept shooting at him but soon gave up, when the jet disappeared in the mist. As soon as the jet was set on autopilot, Rogue and Cyclops slowly pulled in Wolverine and the boy. Storm and Iceman were joining them as Wolverine and the boy were savely inside the jet. Rogue and Cyclops were immediatly giving the bleeding boy first aid.

"I'm telling ya Bobby, you gotta lose some weight, when you want to keep flying with me!"

Storm had a hard time keeping herself and Iceman in the air. Iceman had gained tremendious weight when he joined the X-Men team.

"By the way, where did you guys pick him up? And what happened to him?"

Nobody did answer her cause they were too busy treating his wounds.

Far away from the incident on the island headquarters of the brotherhood of mutants, sat Erich Lensherr alias Magneto bored on everyday life reading the newspaper while letting the 4 ironballs playfully swinging around. His constant battle with the X-Men let him sometimes to wonder if he had actually done something else than plotting the destruction of humankind and the elimination of Charles's children. Mystique, a life long associate of Magneto entered his room. Her slender and silent walk was hardly noticable but Magneto knew her long enough to remember that kind of walk.

"The experiment has escaped..."

Magneto put down his newspaper and sat up straight.

"Where they there too?"

"Yes, Charles's children contributed to the whole mess."

Magneto sighed and shook his head.

"Charles, Charles, Charles... Always sticking your nose into other's business..."

He then stood up and walked towards the door.

"Come then... We must prepare ourselves for our next move. I think that it would be a big surprise for my old friend..."

The 4 ironballs dropped on the floor as the door to Magneto's office closed behind them.

Back at Westchester, New York at Xavier's School for the Gifted and Headquarters of the X-Men, Dr. Jean Grey was preparing a set of infusions for their newcomer. The boy was lying on the examination bed, wired up with many pads connected to an EEG (ElectroEncephaloGram), EKG(ElectroKardioGram), an I.V. and a huge bandage for the missing left arm. Dr. Grey was concentrated on injecting amoxcillin (an antibiotic) into a one litre-Sodium Chloride I.V. when the doors opened and a familiar sound "rolled" into the room.

"Hey Professor..."

The Professor moved his chair to the bed.

"How is our patient, Jean?"

Jean walked to the bed with the new I.V.'s on her hand. She explained the facts to the Professor as she hung up the new medicine.

"Well, good thing was that I was able to restore his vital functions even with that extreme blood loss. Bad news is that he went into a coma. I need to make some more tests untill I can come up witha definite diagnosis."

The professor kept examining the lifeless face of the boy.

"How are the others?"

"They are waiting for you for the debriefing... But they should be fine, even after that..."

Jean almost forgot that the professor was more interested on the mental state of his team than on the facts. It was one of the qualities that make him a wise and respectful leader.

The Professor turned around and headed for the door.

"We should wait for debriefing untill you are done with the tests. I will be in my office."

Jean nodded. She continued her work on the boy as the doors were closing leaving her alone with her patient. While she was adjusting the vital signs machine, she carefully examined the boy's face. It looked like that he was crying even in his coma. She carefully carressed his face with her hand, wondering who or what did this to him.

The next day in the briefing room, the X-Men gathered around for the debriefing from the last mission. The professor and Jean haven't showed up yet, leaving the rest of the X-Men wondering what would take them so long.

"I hav heart tat u almost faint cause of the blood."

Kurt Wagner alias Nightcrawler pointed out to Rogue.

"Kurt, now is not a good time for this."

Her voice was almost a bit bitchy.

"Sorry, tought tat u guys should live up for a moment. I mean he is stabil u know."

Due to his german accent Nightcrawler sometimes slipped back to german, when one: things get to hot, two: he does not know the words in english. The others weren't more in a different mood than Rogue. Scott sighed around, Logan kept moving his leg up and down, making Scott almost taking down his visor while looking at him. Ororo kept playing with her fingernails and Bobby made ice and let it melt on his hand again. Finally, everyone woke up from their day-dreams when the Professor and Jean entered the room.

"Sorry for the delay, but I just finished to go through the files on that disc."

The Professor activated the projector showing them the files.

"Our suspictions were proven. Magneto and the renegade faction were indeed researching some kind of biologial weapon. Similarities with the Weapon X program Logan went through were none. This should be somekind of a new type of supermutant or whatever it is."

Logan showed interest, one of the rare things on most mission debriefings.

"What do you mean a new type of supermutant or whatever...?"

The Professor clicked on his remote to show the contents of the other files.

"We can't say for sure now. These are test data of various exposures to many hazardous substances to a subject. Heat, chemicals, radioactivity. Whoever the subject was, went through one of the most dangerous tests for an organism."

The Professor clicked on to show various reports and pictures. Rogue looked away because the gore was more than she could take. The pictures show various agressive animals, tattoed large humans, some of them with a totally deformed body, others even without a head.

"There were also some psycological reports on the test subject. The pictures you see here are the "remains" of test enemies on the test subject. There were also some psycological reports on the test subject. They say that the subject was mentally a bit unstable, mostly using agressive force on the test enemies. To be honest, this is not some supermutant or anything. This is just a monster."

Scott, second in command of the X-Men, went ahead to tackle the future plans into the discussion.

"So, what should we do about it now?"

"To be honest I really don't know, but something like that is too dangerous to exist in our world. Even Magneto and the humans have difficulty to control it..."

Logan cut in.

"Basically what you mean is that we should kill it or whatever it is..."

The Professor confirmed Logan's comment

"I really don't like the fact that we have to destroy life but in times like this it would be the only option for now. We should now look for possibilities were they should relocate. After our break-in I hardly believe that they would be testing at the same site again."

They all nodded, believing that the debriefing was over. For Rogue though it was not over yet. She had another thing on her mind.

"How is he?"

"Rogue, I think Jean can explain it to you better than me."

Jean took the remote and opened a different file.

"OK, then. The boy himself, Asian, about 178 cm and 70 kg, he had a lot of cut wounds around his whole body. The remainder of the left arm showed clean edges, letting me believe that it was cut off as well. But now comes the interesting part. I took an MRI and it showed something strange on his remaining left arm."

She pointed on a dense part of his left arm.

"That part here seems to proliferate independantly from the rest of his body. It seems like a regeneration. Maybe it could be some mutation like Logan's healing ability. I will have something definite once I get the results from the blood sample I took. Right now, he is still in a coma, but alive and well for now."

Rogue was relieved. She was happy that someone she saved was still alive. Scott had something to add though.

"Could there be any connection with the boy and that sick research organization."

"I don't know. But even if there were I don't think that he would be our sick superkiller mutant. I think we'll know more when he wakes up."

Suddenly something on Jean's waist began to beep. She took that gadget and looked at it briefly. Then she turned back her attention to the group, with more cheerful news.

"Our patient is awake..."

His eyes could not see clearly yet. All that he saw was a bright white light with some unclear shapes. His hearing and smell were the only senses that worked so far. Otherwise he felt horrible, lethargic and dead basically. Soon he heard something slide to the side and many different steps echoed through the room. Some of the group should be female too, the different sound of the steps, the nice smell. Along one of them someone smelled like beer and cigar. His eyes now created a new picture of a head just above him along with other different heads on the rim. The head began to talk.

"Hello, how are you feeling?"

He heard what the woman said though his brain could not decrypt the question yet. He was just too tired. The woman tried something else.

"My name is Dr. Jean Grey."

All that he could take up was the last part.

"Dr. uhnnn JJJ Jean Grey..."

"Yes, that is me. What is your name?"

"Na ...Name?"

"Yes, what is your name?"

It was a question that left him wondering if he actually had one.


	2. Welcome back to Mutant High

X-Men: Crying Renegade 

The X-men took in a mysterious one-armed teenager, whom they met on a mission against the brotherhood of mutants. Suffering a severe amnesia, the X-men nurtured, protected and tried to help the boy to remember his past. Little though did they know about the new menace in connection with the boy and that is crying for total annihilation for both mutants and humans.

Welcome back to Mutant High

"So Marie... I've heard that you have drawn a new guy into this school."

Marie felt like to kill Jubilation Lee. If there was something that was between Marie and a member of the different gender Jubilee was always the first to suspect something... if not anything. Jubes, Kitty and She were sitting on a bank outside the mansion, munching on snacks Jubilee snatched from the kitchen.

"Jubes, it was a rescue..."

"Oh, yes I also rescue everyone who looks cute during a way different mission..."

"How do you know what he looked like?"

Kitty was still chewing the rest of the chips. While Jubes and Kitty enjoyed the amusement, Marie was left thinking how she could convince her girls to stop thinking that she was the "Magneto" for boys.

"Dr. Grey told me. Anyways, why are you doing this Marie. Doesn't Bobby satisfy you?"

Kitty almost spilled the chips out of laughter.

"Jubes, stop thinking that!"

"Oh, yes. Now why do I think like that. Well, hasn't it been the fact that you are the center of attention of hmmm well John, Bobby of course and Logan? What the heck, and it has just been a year when you came."

"She's right, Marie."

"Kitty, not you too!"

Kitty and Jubilee both laughed. Marie felt the urge to hit Jubilee for annoying her, and Kitty for supporting her. But of course both girls won't stop asking about the new boy in school. Kitty continued the interrogation.

"So tell us what happened? Any details about him yet?"

Marie was reluctant to reveal anything about the new guy after both girls made fun of her. But she told them anyways cause then she might be relieved from their rain of questions. And maybe they would stop thinking that she was after boys again.

* * *

"Hello?"

His voice was weak and broken, hardly audible for a normal human being. Five days have past since he woke up from the short coma. Still though his physical condition was too far from good. He could hardly feel anything, not even needle stuck in his right arm with an I.V. running through. But that was the least of his problems. He was thirsty.

"Hey,... anyone there..."

Still no answer. Dr. Grey left minutes ago to grab some lunch with Scott. His sore and dry throat cried out for water. He decided to take the initiative. He rose up slowly, supporting himself with only his right remaining hand on the rim. Being crippled was a bit harder than he thought first. Luckily he was right-handed and the I.V. stand was fitted with wheels so that he could use it as a walking stick. His sense of touch and temperature were numb, hardly noticing how cold the floor really was under his bare feet. All that remained was his memory from the last five days. He remembered how a girl and a boy were asking for the elevator upstairs to a mansion, while he was in his semi-sleep. His memory were correct as he made his way through the corridors of the underground headquarters, and finding a circular door, like the doctor described. It had a button with an arrow-up sign. He pushed it, causing the door to slide to the side. It revealed another cylinder like room with a panel.

"At least something of me is working...", he thought as he entered the room, the doors closing behind him.

* * *

"Wow, well that was some story."

Kitty took a sip from her coke after having listened to Marie's report of the boy they rescued. Jubilee did not say a thing, which was quite unusual for someone like her.

"So, what if he was the mindless killing thing?"

Marie remembered what was said during the debriefing.

"Dr. Grey and the others are still looking into this matter because his arm is "proliferating" or something. I for my part think that it is impossible for him being our super killer."

All three girls went silent for a while, munching on the remaining snacks. Still a bit taken by the story, they stayed like that for a while when Jubilee noticed someone on the mansion's window.

"Speaking of super killer, isn't that the guy?"

She pointed on the window directly opposite from them. Marie and Kitty were following Jubilee's finger until they noticed something. A weak and lethargic man in hospital clothes slowly made his way through the corridors of the mansion, supporting himself on the long I.V. stand. Marie knew the person and nodded her head to confirm Jubilee's question.

"I wonder what he is doing there. Must be really desperate for something. Marie, why don't you go and ask him?"

Marie was shocked.

"WHAT? Why don't you go? I have class soon..."

Kitty shook her head.

"No sweetie liar, you have this period free."

She triumphantly held the timetable up on her face with a finger on an empty cell. Marie let out a deep breath. She could not believe what was happening.

"Do you want to make me a complete idiot? What would he think of me? He probably won't remember me anyways."

Jubilee laughed.

"Ms. Rogue what are you talking about? You saved his life, of course he will remember you. Now go before I have to spank you to him!"

Marie stared angrily at her friends but stood up and walked to the mansion. Escaping them was a relief but she had serious thoughts on how to talk to him. Behind her the girls were giggling endlessly, until they heard the professor calling out for them.

* * *

The mansion was huge. It was nothing like other things he had ever seen. Well, actually there was nothing left in his memory, so he could not compare this mansion to something else. In any case, it was a big mansion. But where was the kitchen? As he continued down the long hallways, a voice was calling out to him.

"Looking for something?"

He turned around to the origin of the voice. A girl was standing there. She wore a black top along with a scarf and blue jeans. Her gloves covered almost her entire arms. Else noticeable was her hair, tied up in a ponytail with a white strand covering the front. She seemed a bit nervous.

"...Water?..."

She could barely hear him but looking at his face, his stance and eyes she knew what he was asking.

"Oh.. yeah sure. I'll show you."

Marie took the lead. She noticed then that he could not keep up with her pace and that he was barefooted. She went back to him and took her feet out of her slippers.

"Here take this or else you'll freeze up before we get to the kitchen."

He took the slippers without any reply. As he tried to slip into the borrowed shoes, he unintentionally pushed the I.V. stand foreword causing him to slip. Marie was fast enough to notice it and stopped the stand with her feet while catching him with her arms. His face fell and rested on her shoulder. Marie's pulse rate was increasing exponentially. She pulled away a bit to prevent anything to touch her skin. It was a weird moment. Luckily though she did not left go of him. After a while she helped him regaining his stand again. He still kept the crippled left arm on her shoulder, while she supported his body with a hand on his abdomen and the other on his back.

"You should be careful not to touch me."

He made a confused look but was unable to answer. Marie gave him a quick explanation.

"Long story. I'll tell ya later why. But lets get you some water first."

He nodded and they both continue their trek towards the kitchen.

* * *

Dr. Grey was looking through the lab papers while walking through the underground corridors to the med station. The papers show elevated infection parameters but also highly elevated Calcium, Phosphate, Protein metabolism and so on. Her thesis was correct. His body was regenerating quick, including the remaining left arm. It would be highly unusual though if the left arm would grow again into a new one. Even in the mutant world, this would be almost impossible. Or not? As the doors slide away to reveal the med station, Dr. Jean Grey immediately noticed the empty bed and the I.V. stand gone.

"Oh, damn..."

She dropped the paper on the desk and picked up the phone.

* * *

"...Thank you..."

Marie smiled when she heard that. It was the usual thanks for the help but she took it more seriously. He had drunken more than two bottles already and now was on this third. Marie kept watching him how he slowly poured the clear liquid in this throat.

"So do you remember anything yet?"

He shook his head.

"Not even your name?"

Again he shook his head while looking down the table. Marie felt a bit bad that she hacked around him to get some info, but she wanted to help him.

"Well, I can't let you go on nameless so I will call you...uhmm..."

She tried to think of something that would fit him apart from the fact that he was without a left arm.

"Well, I just recently caught a show on TV with a hero who is trying to find something in his past, so you will be known as Caine to us for now OK?"

He smiled and nodded, meaning that he knew now of his temporary name, before again stuck his mouth into a bottle. Marie smiled, happily that she could help him with something to start, although it was like she just named a pet.

"Ah, there you are..."

Marie jumped in surprise. It was kinda odd that the professor would have sneaked into the room just to scare her. Dr. Jean Grey was with him. She immediately went to her patient to check on the remaining I.V. fluid.

"It was a bit difficult to find you in my mansion. How are you feeling?"

"...OK... I guess..."

The professor returned the answer with a smile. Dr. Grey meanwhile used her stethoscope to check around.

"I'm glad to hear that. But for the sake of your health, you should have patience and wait next time for Dr. Grey before you try to solve the problem on your own."

"...OK..."

The professor nodded. He then turned to Marie. Marie gulped. Right now she was expecting some bad and educational comment from the professor, the usual thing he did when some of his kids made a mistake.

"Rogue, you know that you should have informed me."

"I know professor, it won't happen again."

The professor smiled.

"Oh yes, I think it will..."

Marie let out a deep breath first thinking that it was over. She only discovered too late that the professor had read her mind. As she continued to stare at the professor's back angrily, Jean marked the end of her examination by hanging the stethoscope around her neck.

"He is all right. By the way, I was going to move him upstairs anyways so that he would be more comfortable around here."

The professor turned to face both Marie and Jean.

"Excellent, I think Rogue here would show our guest, Caine, a suitable room, and while we are at it, the whole mansion."

Marie was still petrified as the professor, still smiling, exited the kitchen followed by Jean. The boy, now named Caine, meanwhile was wondering how the old man on the wheel chair could know his new name. On their way out, the professor and Jean surprised Kitty and Jubilee, who were hiding behind the door.

"You girls, this applies for you too!"

Both girls nodded, though they had a hard time to stop grinning.

* * *

"I think you will be comfortable here."

Marie, still angry on the professor for violating her privacy, turned on the lights to reveal the guestroom, complete with bathroom, stylish furniture and a double bed. The extra I.V.'s, and a plate with medicine from downstairs were already in the room, brought up by Jean Grey. Caine was still amazed by the richness of this mansion. It had almost everything. Big garden, play room, TV room, huge kitchen, horse stable, swimming pool, and so on. The professor must have been very grateful with spending this much money just for the kids. It was already night outside. Marie made a tour with him around the mansion the whole evening. She even had to cancel her date with Bobby cause of this "punishment". Now both of them were tired. Caine was already lying on the bed while Marie sat on the side.

"Tiring, huh? I told you this house is way beyond imagination."

Caine nodded in agreement. He almost went to sleep immediately, when Marie noticed something on the medication plate. It was a note from Jean Grey.

"Rogue, please tell Caine to take this before going to sleep. Thanks, Jean."

Marie went back to the bed, shaking Caine awake.

"Hey, not yet, You'll have to take something first."

She sat beside him, handing him the pills and waiting with a cup of water on the other hand. Caine swallowed them down quickly followed by the liquid. Marie was a bit surprised that he regained his strength so quickly. It was almost like that he was healthy as every other person around. But she trusted Jean, and that her ordered medication wasn't without reason. After he finished taking the medicine, he laid back, resting his head on the pillow. Marie pulled the blankets over him, tucking him in like a mom with her child.

"So, rest now, we will try handle your case during the next few days. I will go back now to my room. If you need anything, the beeper is on the nightstand, otherwise walk to the right and knock on the next door and hope that I'm not fast-asleep."

Before she could leave the room, Caine was calling out for her. Marie just hoped that he did not want something she thought right now.

"Rouge... Thank you..."

Marie smiled.

"Sweet dreams..."

Then she shut the lights and closed the door. While she walked back to her room, she was asking herself what the hell she was doing. She was totally neglecting Bobby, flirting with a complete alien, telling him that she will be there for him and practically told him how to find her. It was nightmare that, at least, was over. But another nightmare was awaiting her when she opened the door to her room. Her roommates, Kitty and Jubilee, were already in their PJ's still grinning heavily.

"So, Marie. How was it?"

"Don't start!"


	3. Memories

X-Men: Crying Renegade 

The X-men took in a mysterious one-armed teenager, whom they met on a mission against the brotherhood of mutants. Suffering a severe amnesia, the X-men nurtured, protected and tried to help the boy to remember his past. Little though did they know about the new menace in connection with the boy and that is crying for total annihilation for both mutants and humans.

Memories

A new morning sun broke through the window shades in Caine's room. Lots of shouts and cries were breaching through his ears. It was recess time in Xavier's School for the Gifted. Caine rubbed his eyes and left the hand on, covering the blinding sun rays. He wanted to sleep some more. After the tour through the mansion with that pretty girl, he was left more exhausted than he was before. He was going to nap in again as his stomach grumbled and twisted inside him. Then he remembered something: that he hadn't had anything to eat since he woke up. Deciding on the other prime need, he pulled up the covers and got out of bed. He was also relieved to find that the needles on his arm and the I.V. stand was gone. The doctor must have taken it out early in the morning. The only thing that was left were the few pills on the tablet with the usual "please take it" note. Another thing he noticed were a sweatshirt, boxer shorts and jogging pants on the chair.

"Must be really generous people..."

He put the clothes on and made his way towards the kitchen.

* * *

"So is there anything you have on the boy?"

Jean pushed up her glasses while handing the professor some papers. Professor Xavier took the unsorted papers and looked through the lab results and reports. Jean meanwhile continued with her own report.

"Well, he is fine for now, apart from his amnesia and his missing left arm. His blood still shows a lot of proliferating agents though and his metabolism blows everything we have seen before."

The professor put the reports aside and looked in the eyes of his science advisor.

"Anything that points to a mutation?"

Jean Grey shook her head.

"Nothing right now. I can merely guess that he would have some regenerative capability like Logan but I'm even not sure about that."

Charles Xavier nodded and took a sip of his coffee.

"Well alright, then please continue to analyze him. I'll see if I can try to find something in his mind."

The professor steered his chair to the door. Closing his eyes he seemed to concentrate on something. Jean could already tell what he was looking for.

"Would you like something to eat?"

* * *

Caine stumbled through the kitchen door to find Logan behind the fridge. He was a little surprised when he tumbled into the room.

"Wow, wow, wow take it easy there pup."

He helped Caine back on his feet. He then went back to opening his beer while Caine supported himself on the kitchen table. Logan could already tell without any psychic abilities what he was after.

"Hungry? Kids're at the table right now for lunch. Would join them if ya don't wanna miss the good stuff."

He pointed at another door leading to the dining room. Caine nodded and made his way to the dining room almost tripping over again. Caine was able to hold himself on the door frame. Logan was a bit annoyed and worried. If he really needed help then why didn't he just ask.

"Hey, kid you're OK?"

"Yeah,... I'll be fine."

His voice was weak but for our Wolverine it was loud enough. Deciding to leave him be, Logan nodded again and left the kitchen. Maybe it was better that he would try to do things on his own. Caine meanwhile appeared in the dining room where the kids, laughing and screaming around, were enjoying their meal. Mashed potatoes with a steak and salad was on the lunch list today. Just the smell could make Caine lose his consciousness.

"Don't u want to eat wit us?"

It was Nightcrawler who appeared behind him. Normally, the first sight of Nightcrawler would have stunned everyone, mutants and humans alike. But somehow for Caine, he wasn't neither petrified nor afraid.

"Here, let me help u a bit."

Nightcrawler grappled him and teleported him to his table. Caine was astonished by this ability. It was almost like an eye twitch, beaming from one place to another.

"Wow..."

Nightcrawler was amazed. No one every had recognized his ability before.

"Vielen Dank..."

Two other children were sitting opposite them, staring at the new guy without an arm. Caine felt a bit awkward. Four eyes on him and he couldn't shake them off. Nightcrawler whispered something into his ear.

"Tat is normal. They have not seen somthing like tis before."

He knocked with his arm at Caine's remaining left arm.

"Aha..."

While Caine tried to ignore the kids staring at him, he discovered someone else behind them. It was Marie sitting with John, Bobby, Kitty and Jubilee. She had noticed him already. Caine raised his hand to greet her. Flattered, she replied back with the same greeting. The other teens grinned when they saw whom Rogue replied to except for Bobby, who was glaring at the newcomer.

"U know tat she and tat guy are together, ja?"

Caine just smiled back at him and started to consume his meal while Rogue occasionally tried to keep eye contact with him.

* * *

The professor kept looking at the files on the boy while continuing to sip on his coffee. He was already in the elevator riding upwards to meet the newcomer. Professor Xavier couldn't get off his mind that the boy would bring some very bad news to the X-Men; Something like intuition or even a prediction of things to come. As the elevator doors opened and the professor's thoughts were still concentrated on the boy, he wondered why the mansion was so quiet and why every kid was standing around something or somebody in the dining room...

* * *

The gifted kids were forming a circle around a table witnessing something that even their powers would never reach. Caine still sat on his table eating with the two staring kids and a petrified Nightcrawler. Caine just finished his latest plate and added them to the stack besides him, now counting to six. Even the rest of the teen X-Men gang, Bobby, John, Kitty and Marie were watching this obviously now main event.

"Is that his power, swallowing down anything there is..."

Marie hit John with her elbow in his rip cage only slightly hurting him. Nightcrawler wrapped himself with his arms and tail.

"I tougt tat I was frigtening enough but this is even more scary."

Caine meanwhile finished his sixth plate. His stomach, still unsatisfied, waited for something more. He put the plate on top of the stack and looked around for something to eat. One of the staring kids pushed his unfinished plate to him. The kid, still with his mouth down and petrified, couldn't get his eyes off the newcomer. Caine smiled, grabbed his fork and knife and continued to munch happily on the lunch.

"That must be some power..."

No one was able to finish nor reply when the professor showed up.

"Ah there you are. I see that you are enjoying our cock's specialties."

"Yoah, munch... munch... quiet good..."

"Alright. When you finish your lunch would you like to join me in my office?"

Caine, still chewing on the steak, agreed with a nod. The professor smiled and was about to leave the scene when said one last thing to the kids.

"Children, let the man eat, besides you're going to be late for class."

* * *

Professor Xavier was still looking through the files on the disc as the door opened and revealed Jean Grey with some papers in her hands. His eyes left the files on his computer to focus on the guest.

"So anything else?"

Jean removed her glasses and rubbed her head.

"Same as before. Have you tried yet?"

The professor was about to answer when he heard knocks on his door.

"Come in..."

The door opened and Caine appeared.

"Ah Caine, we were just talking about you. Please have a seat."

Caine did what the professor asked. He took the empty chair besides Jean and sat down. Professor Xavier steered his chair to the side to get closer to Caine.

"I guess that you are interested to find something about your past."

Caine nodded quickly.

"Good. Now I want you to try to relax."

The professor put his hands on Caine's head. Caine pulled away first, afraid of what will happen.

"Its alright Caine, I will try to see what is in your mind."

His soft voice assured Caine the safety of the procedure and let the professor continue. Again, the professor put his hands on Caine's head and closed his eyes. Caine too closed his eyes hoping that it would help. Then Professor Xavier concentrated on Caine's mind. He was thrown into a void of pictures with many uniformed men and weird mutilated men and women. Red was the only dominant color in that weird dream. Moments later he opened his eyes to find himself in a forest. It was a forest wrapped in complete silence. He then noticed someone behind a tree kneeling over something. He could not see over what he was kneeling over cause the bushes were blocking his sights. The professor stood up from his chair and walked over to him. His eyes could not believe the sight when he got closer. Blood and organs were all over the place coming from a mutilated body without a head. The person kneeling over it didn't have a face either. It seemed like that the man was eating it. Then another person came out of the forest. The professor identified him as none other than Caine. None of his limbs were missing too. The other man stood up facing Caine. He lifted his arms morphing them into some kind of weird looking blades. Caine, unamazed by his move, cramped his left sleeve up and also formed a blade from his hand. Though unidentical, both blades have almost the same organic style; a sharp curved blade attached to flesh, while Caine's blade looked like a sword with additional spines. Both men then dashed with light speed into each other, clashing their weapons together. The next thing that happened was that the professor was thrown into a void of pictures again, all showing excessive gore and mutilation of both humans and animals alike. The final thing he saw was Caine himself his face covered in blood, screaming out his battle cry into the air. Back to reality, professor Xavier forced his eyes open, while his heart beating like it had never before. He removed his hands slowly though and returned behind his desk, while was left Caine puzzled.

"Well, it seems that your mind was more complex than I thought. I think that it would take some more sessions to find something more about you."

Caine still couldn't understand anything.

"So, is it good or bad now?"

"Well we will have to work some more times to see your memories. But this is normal and we should take it slow and one step at a time."

The professor then looked at his watch. 6:30 PM.

"Well why don't you join the others for dinner. I think that our chief has something very special for today's dinner. And don't worry we have enough, even for you."

A smile formed on Caine's face. He quickly stood up and went to the door. He almost forgot something to ask tough and turned around to look at both Jean and the professor. Professor Xavier already knew what he was about to ask.

"Don't worry, Jean and I will be joining you soon."

Caine nodded and left the room. Jean still had puzzled expression on her face, which wasn't unnoticed.

"Professor, I know that you have seen his memories but why aren't you telling them to him."

The professor turned his face to the window.

"Because I think it is better that he would never see these things again as I saw them."

"You know that he will eventually find out himself."

He supported his heavy head with his right hand and tried to find calm within the green.

"All the more reason to protect him from them."

But somehow he knew that this time will come soon.

* * *

After an amazing dinner, Caine sat on a bank outside enjoying the last sights of the sun before it disappeared from the horizon. And again he stunned the folks of mutant high by finishing ten burgers with a bowl of salad and fruits. Wolverine already suggested to take him to the annual New York hotdog eating contest to come up for the food he consumed and maybe to boost the income for the school of the gifted. Most kids agreed but the final word came from Scott, who protested against the abuse of the new guest. And as ever Scott and Logan fought much in amusement to the others until the professor broke them up and literally sent them to bed. It was a very funny moment. But that was one hour ago and Caine fought against his stomach from exploding. While he still held his stomach from all the food he gulped down another person appeared from behind.

"Do you always have that big appetite?"

The voice belonged to the girl who helped Caine through the first days at the mansion.

"Oh, hi Rogue."

Rogue could hear the silent grins of her two girls behind her. She turned around and gestured to shut up and go back inside. Kitty and Jubilee did what they were told but they still kept an eye on the two by sticking their heads out of the open door. After getting them out of her sight, Rogue sat down beside Caine and watched the beautiful sunset with him.

"What's your name?"

Rogue was surprised that he asked,

"What?"

"I mean what's your real name..."

Rogue was a bit flattered that he asked. Actually only three people knew her real name; the professor, Jean Grey, and Logan.

"Marie..."

And now him.

"And what about you? What did the professor say..."

Caine sighed.

"Apparently my mind was a bit too complex. We still need some more sessions."

"Oh..."

Caine looked down on his remaining left arm.

"Maybe I'll remember when I find out where I've lost my arm."

"May I?"

Marie pointed on his left arm. Caine nodded and let her touch. Marie carefully caressed the arm with her hands. As she remembered the arm was cut off clean. Now it was curved, no evidence was left to prove that it was cut off.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Sometimes... Are you a psychic too?"

"No, my power is to take the powers of other mutants, but with humans I'd take their "life- force" as the professor said. Basically I'd hurt people if I touch them too long, doesn't matter if mutant or human. That is why I can't let you touch my skin."

"Oh..."

Silence was between them. Although it only lasted some seconds, it was like an eternity. Marie broke it with her looking downwards, breaking the eye contact with Caine. The sun was gone already. While Caine thought about his past, Marie thought about how she could escape the pseudo romantic scene without letting him alone. Then she stood up.

"Hey, what about some foosball? Betcha you won't beat me and Bobby."

She pulled him up on his feet. He though was confused about one more thing.

"What is foosball?"

"A fun game you'll like it, even with one hand... come on!"

Whatever game it was, she must love it. Caine followed her inside. Luckily though Marie was the first to enter the mansion to find the peaking girls Jubilee and Kitty behind the curtains. While she was busy spanking her girls for peaking, Caine stopped in front of the doorstep, turned around and wondered if he knew the silent cry that was coming out of the dark forest behind the gardens of the mansion.


End file.
